Adjustable foot for ladders.



W. D. OSTERHOUDT. ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR LADDERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s, 1913.

1 ,088,1 69. Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

ATES PATENT OFFIOE.

WILLIAM D. OSTERI-IOUDT, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGIIOR OF ONE-HALF TO EVERETT V. WATSON, OF FISI-IKILL-ON-THE-HUDSON, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE FOOT FOR LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 6, 1913.

Patented Feb. 2.4:, 1914.

Serial No. 765,828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. Osrnn- I'IOUD'I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Poughkeepsie, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Adjustable Foot for Ladders, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings.

This invention relates to an adjustable foot for ladders, which may be applied to ladders of different forms, but is particularly adapted for a tripod or fruit pickers ladder having a main step portion and a support or leg suitabiy hinged or pivoted to the upper end of the main portion.

The objects of the invention are to construct an improved adjustable foot for ladders by means of which the strain is taken off the lower round or step of the ladder and distributed, so that the strain is taken by the lower ends of the ladder sides. The ladder is thus strengthened, while at the same time twisting strains are provided for when the ladder is used in situations in which the strain does not fall equally on both sides.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means for automatically locking the ladder to the adjustable foot when the plane of the ladder is displaced relatively to the plane of the foot, as when the weight of a person is placed on the ladder. The foot should be automatically locked under such circumstances, because there is no certainty that the operator will otherwise manipulate a special lock. With the foot locked to the ladder, the possibility of accidents is reduced to a minimum, because the ladder cannot slip laterally on the foot.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in one of its preferred forms, in which Figure 1 is a rear view of the lower end of the main body or step portion of a ladder, the upper part being broken away; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of' the lower end of the ladder; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view looking at the inside of one of the lowerends of the ladder sides, the upper portion being broken away and the foot being broken; and Fig. 4t is an enlarged detail rear elevation of the lower end of one of the ladder sides having the adjustable foot attached thereto, the parts being partly broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated in connection with a fruit pickers ladder, in which A and B represent the side rails, the ladder having the rounds or steps C and the base or lower step D.

The form of ladder shown in the drawings is usually provided with a prop or leg 13 adapted to be pivotally connected to the upper end of the main ladder portion. In Fig. 2, this prop E- is shown in closed position.

The construction of the ladder shown is the usual form of fruit picking ladders, in which the lower end of the main portion is provided with the flaring sides or struts F and G secured to the sides A- and B and also secured to the base I), as by means of the brace or tension member H passing over the block J. The foot of the ladder is therefore considerably wider than the main ladder portion and my improvement is especially adapted for ladders of this construction, although, of course, it may be applied to any ladder. Brackets or stirrups K and L are suitably pivoted or pivotally hung to the lower ends of the flaring sides F and G. In this instance, to form a secure construction, plates 0 are secured to the outside of the sides F and G and plates P are secured to the inside of said sides, in any suitablemanner, as by means of the bolts or rivets Q. The inside plates P form bearing plates for the brackets or stirrups K and L which are pivoted on the bolts R, as shown. The brackets or stirrups K and L are thus hung for angular or vertical movement about horizontal pivots. The downward movement of the brackets is preferably limited by the stops or hooks S, while the upward movement is limited in a manner to be described. These brackets or stirrups as shown are provided with openings T formed in the outer ends of the brackets and bolts U are preferably removably secured in the bosses V formed on the brackets, so that the bow-shaped foot W may be inserted in and removed from the openings in the brackets. The openings T in the brackets are preferably of angular form and the bow-shaped foot W is preferably of angular cross section and guided in the hook-shaped guide X secured to the base D, although this guide X should take none of the weight of the ladder, but simply guide or hold the bow-shaped foot X transversely.

hen the brackets or stirrups K and I. rest upon the stops S as shown in Figs. 8 and 4c, the bow-shaped foot W may be moved longitudinally through the brackets,

as desired, in order to adjust the foot in any desired position, since the foot passes loosely through the openings in the brackets. When, however, the plane of the ladder is displaced relatively to the plane of the foot, as shown in Fig. 2, the brackets are also angularly displaced about their pivots in substantially the position indicated and the bow-shaped foot binds in the angular openings and grips the sides of said open ingsat several points on opposite sides of the central plane of the foot. In Fig. 2, the binding or gripping action takes place particularly at the points a and b, for instance. The upward movement or displacement of the brackets K and L is limited by the contact of the foot against the side of the ladder, as indicated in Fig. 2. By means of this construction, the bow-shaped foot may be adjusted in any desired position in the brackets to conform to unevenness or slope of the ground upon which the ladder is placed, and when the ladder is raised into position, the Weight of the ladder itself will cause the angular displacement of the brackets and automatically bind the foot in the brackets, so that the possibility of the ladder slipping on the foot is prevented. The weight of a person uponthe ladder, or any weight applied to the ladder, increases the 7 binding or gripping action between the brackets and the foot, to which the frictional contact may be added, as an instance, so that the action is positive and efiicient.

I claim and'desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following:

1. An adjustable foot for ladders, comprising horizontally extending brackets or stirrups pivoted for vertical movement at the lower ends of the sides of the ladder, and a bow-shaped foot passing loosely through said brackets.

2. An adjustable foot for ladders, comprising brackets or stirrups pivotally hung for angular movement at the lower ends of the sides of the ladder and a bow-shaped foot passing loosely through said brackets, whereby angular displacement of the plane of the ladder relatively to the plane of the foot causes the foot to bind in the brackets and prevents the ladder from slipping laterally on the foot.

3. An adjustable foot for ladders, co1nprising brackets or stirrups pivotally hung at the lower ends of the sides of the ladder, said brackets having angular openings, and a bow-shaped foot of angular cross section passing loosely through said angular openings in the brackets, whereby angular displacement of the plane of the ladder relatively to the plane of the foot, causes the foot to bind in the brackets and prevents E lie ladder from slipping laterally on the oot.

4. An adjustable foot for a tripod or fruit pickers ladder, having a main step portion and a support or leg, the lower end of the main portion of the ladder having flaring sides to form a broad base, brackets or stirrups pivotally hung from the lower ends of said flaring sides, said brackets having angular openings, and a bow-shaped foot of angular cross-section passing loosely through said angular openings in the brackets, whereby angular displacement of the plane of the ladder relatively to the plane of the foot, causes the foot to bind in the brackets and prevents the ladder from slipping laterally on the foot.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

lVILLIAM D. OSTERHOUDT. Witnesses:

A. D. VVnnKns, Jr., M. M. RIEMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patcntn, Washington, D. C. 

